AMMAN (Jordan) - Philippines win in exciting clash to stay undefeated along with Iran as Samoa and Kazakhstan get their first victories in Division B of the FIBA U16 Women’s Asian Championship 2022.

In the first game of the day, Samoa bounced back from a tough loss to get their first win over Indonesia, 57-48.

Both teams were neck and neck in the middle of the second quarter, before Indonesia went scoreless for nearly 8 minutes. Samoa scored 13 unanswered points during that stretch that was enough to last the game for the win.

Samoa dominated the board with three players recording double-digits in rebounds. Azaleeah Oloapu had a double-double of 14 points and 11 rebounds on 6-10 shooting while also adding 2 steals and blocks. Kira-May Filemu led the team in scoring again with 24 points to go with her 14 rebounds.

The Philippines and Syria put on a show in the second Division B with what could end up being the game of the competition. Gilas Youth Women ended up with the win, 92-86, to stay undefeated, but it did not come easily.

Syria trailed by as much as 20 points in the first half, but they chipped away at the lead until the score became even at 82 with only a few minutes to go. They were able to get the score tied off the heroic plays of Simel Alahmar, who score 9 of the 11 unanswered points in the run that knotted the game up.

However, the star of the Philippines in this game, Kristan Yumul, had one more dagger up her sleeve as she nailed a masterful stepback three-pointer with just over one minute left to give her team the lead and the momentum. Yumul’s three put her points total at 33, tying the most ever scored in a U16 Women’s Asian Championship game, while also making 9 three-pointers.

Aside from Yumul’s big game, the Philippines also got solid production from Gabriella Ramos once again as she put up 21 points and 14 rebounds.

Syria were led by Suzan Backour who had 28 points, 13 rebounds, and 4 assists.

Kazakhstan handed the hosts Jordan to a second straight tough defeat, ​77-56.

Jordan actually held the lead midway through the second quarter, but went scoreless over a span of seven minutes which allowed Kazakhstan to go on a 22-0 run and take the lead for good.

It was a big game for Anastassiya Knaub who had 24 points, 27 rebounds, and 2 steals in the win. Mariya Kolupayeva was also a key performer with 16 points on 7-9 shooting to go with 6 rebounds and 6 assists. 

Anastassiya Knaub had 24 points, 27 rebounds, and 2 steals

The last game ended up going down to the wire with Iran hanging on in the clutch to beat Lebanon, 51-50.

Iran actually had the upper hand for most of the second half, leading by as much as 11 points. Lebanon then stormed back with a 16-0 run over the span of 7 minutes to build their biggest lead in the fourth quarter.

It came down to the hustle play of Farnaz Khodamoradi who grabbed an offensive rebound, put the ball in the basket, drew the foul, and knocked down the go-ahead free-throw with just 27 left. Khodamoradi ended up with one of the best performances on the team with 9 points, 9 rebounds, 6 assists, ad 2 blocks. Meanwhile, Shamim Nouri led Iran with 15 points.

Farnaz Khodamoradi

The final gameday of the Group Phase will be an exciting one in Division B. The first game of the day will be between Indonesia and Syria in Group A at 13:30 (GMT +3). A win by Indonesia could get them to the next stage of the competition, while a loss by Syria could mean being eliminated entirely.

That will be followed at 15:45 (GMT +3) between Samoa and the Philippines. After a satisfying win over Syria today, the Philippines can clinch the top spot in Group A and a direct trip to the Semi-Finals if they can beat Samoa.

Over in Group B, the action starts at 18:00 (GMT +3) as hosts Jordan will seek for their first win against Lebanon.

The last game of the day at 20:15 (GMT +3) will be between Kazakhstan and Iran, which could end up being a battle for first place in the group.

FIBA